Pu'uhonua o Honaunau
A sacred refuge on the Kona coast of Hawaii where, under the old kapu laws, people who had broken a rule could be absolved by a priest and return home.
Practised and told of here
Best time: Year round. Mornings are quieter.
A pu'uhonua is a place of refuge. At Honaunau a high stone wall encloses the area, and a temple, the Hale o Keawe, held the bones of chiefs, whose mana was believed to protect the site. Defeated warriors, noncombatants and people who had broken a kapu, a sacred law, could come there.
Kapu and mana
Under the kapu system, rules protected sacred things and set the division of power between chiefs, priests and commoners. Breaking a kapu could bring death. A priest, called a kahuna, could grant absolution at a pu'uhonua. The system was formally broken in 1819.
Kahuna
The word kahuna means an expert or priest. Kahuna lapa'au were healers, and others were canoe builders or navigators. In English the word has been used in popular culture in loose and misleading ways, and in the twentieth century a 'Huna' movement invented by outsiders used it.
Visiting
The park is run by the US National Park Service with Native Hawaiian advisers. Visitors are asked not to walk on the walls or touch the stones, and not to leave offerings.
A respectful visit to Pu'uhonua o Honaunau
Living communities are not a show. Ask before photographing a person or a ceremony, and follow local rules.
- The Great Wall Walk along it and read the signs.
- Hale o Keawe View the reconstructed temple from the path.
- Hawaiian cultural demonstrations Attend those offered by park staff.
Written by the EveryJaadu desk with AI assistance. Background: "Pu'uhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park" on Wikipedia. Opening hours, markets and ceremonies change; check locally before travelling. If something is wrong, tell us.
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